COMPETITION in the electronic book market is set to intensify this autumn when US retailer Barnes & Noble launches its Nook product in the UK.
The device, which has been available in the US since 2009, will be pitched against Amazon’s Kindle and WH Smith’s Kobo e-readers when it goes on sale in October. William Lynch, chief executive of the New York-based group, said around 2.5 million titles, including books, magazines and newspapers, will be available to download for the device, which will be sold online and through partnerships with existing retailers.
Amazon launched its first Kindle reader in 2007, with international sales beginning in 2009, and now controls around half of the market for electronic books.
WH Smith is due to give an update on Kobo sales when it delivers a trading statement on Thursday. It began selling the device last year.